Ridgefield, CT Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Adopted July 12, 2023 as Article I of Chapter 308, the ordinance regulates every discharge that reaches the Town's small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) in order to comply with the federal NPDES permit program. Section 308-2 defines an "illicit connection" broadly: any drain, pipe or conveyance, indoor or outdoor, that lets a nonstormwater discharge such as sewage, process wastewater or wash water reach the storm drain system, whether or not the Town ever approved it. Section 308-7 makes the core prohibition explicit, barring any discharge that is not stormwater and that causes or contributes to a violation of water quality standards, into the storm system, wetlands or watercourses.

The article carves out a specific exempt list: water line flushing, landscape irrigation, diverted stream flows, groundwater infiltration, foundation and footing drains, air-conditioning condensation, noncommercial vehicle washing and de-chlorinated swimming pool water, provided none of it carries pollutants. The Authorized Enforcement Agency, defined as the Town's First Selectman, the Department of Public Services or the Water Pollution Control Authority, issues a written notice of violation under Section 308-14 that can require monitoring, a stop-work order, remediation and payment of a fine. A recipient has 15 days under Section 308-15 to file a written appeal before a hearing officer appointed by the First Selectman, or the notice becomes final and enforceable as a lien-backed assessment.

If the Town abates a violation itself, Section 308-17 makes the cost, including administrative costs, a lien against the property. The Town can also seek injunctive relief and recover its attorneys' fees under Sections 308-18 and 308-20.